E-mail this article

To:

Invalid E-mail address

Add a personal message:(80
character limit)Your E-mail:

Invalid E-mail address

Sending your article

By Ben Volin, Globe Staff

Tim Tebow didn’t get a chance Thursday night against the Lions to make amends for his poor performance in the Patriots’ previous preseason game against the Buccaneers. He never got off the sidelines in Detroit as Tom Brady played the entire first half and Ryan Mallett the entire second half in the Patriots’ 40-9 loss.

Tebow, though, didn’t bat an eye when asked if he was frustrated by not playing on Thursday.

“I’m a blessed individual,” he said. “Happy to be here, and whatever I’m asked to do, I’m going to do.”

Tebow said he’s not frustrated, either, with his performance in the preseason. His passer rating is 17.7 after two games, with an interception and a completion percentage of 26 (5 of 19).

“You just prepare, and what you are asked to do, you do it 100 percent with everything you have,” he said. “You want everything to go well, but it’s not. There are going to be ups and downs. That’s what life is, and you’ve just got to handle them as best as you possibly can.”

The Detroit fans, though, certainly seemed disappointed that Tebow didn’t play. They began chanting his name in the fourth quarter – “Te-bow! Te-bow!” – before each Patriots drive, and the chants grew louder as the clock dwindled.

“I try not to pay attention,” Tebow said of the chants. “Obviously it was nice whenever you have support, but you just try to stay focused.”

Finally, Tebow was asked if he feels like he has improved over four weeks of training camp.